Stephen Rowland: Praying bystanders lead to miracle on the side of the road on 31A

Jonathan Todd Hickman was riding his bicycle along the side of Hwy 31A going south at I-840 recently when he went into sudden cardiac arrest. He collapsed and fell with his bike onto the ground. A motorist saw it happen and pulled over to assist him.

His heart had stopped. The motorist did not know CPR but called 911 and began to pray. Another lady motorist who used to be a paramedic also stopped and began CPR. Another small group of good Samaritans stopped to help and pray for him.

Our next door neighbors are Terry and Elaine Hickman; it was their son who basically died on the side of 31A. Todd was a health nut — the last person you would expect to die this way. He ate healthy meals, went to the gym frequently, and rode that bicycle 150 miles every week.

His wife Heather was puzzled when Todd didn’t return that evening; they had a 6:30 p.m. dinner date. She started calling folks and searching for him. She called the police — they said an unidentified male found unresponsive on the side of the highway had been taken to Vanderbilt. Heather broke a lot of speed limits rushing to Vanderbilt to see if it was her husband.

The ambulance personnel hadn’t given Todd much of a chance for survival. He was not breathing. His heart had stopped, and he had turned blue from the waist up. After some “tag teaming” CPR, they finally got a heartbeat after two rounds of the defibrillator and his color returned.

Arriving at Vanderbilt, Heather was horrified when they wouldn’t let her in. Apparently there had been an incident with someone possessing a gun inside the hospital, so it was locked down. She pleaded frantically with the Emergency Room nurse to at least describe their patient to her to see if it was Todd. They sent a social worker to talk with Heather — not usually a good sign. The nurse went and took a look, returned with the physical description — it matched Todd’s. After a few minutes they finally let her go back and see her husband for 5 minutes in the trauma unit.

Todd was intubated and entirely unresponsive, but alive. Heather told him how much he was loved and that she was there for him. His fingers slightly curled around her hand. After close examination and being in the hospital for several days, the physicians put a stent in Todd as there was a 70% blockage in one of his arteries.

They are taking it day-by-day but Todd is alive and slowly recuperating.

I spoke with Heather on the phone, and she said “I don’t know if you are a religious man, but it’s a miracle that he is alive.” It just so happened that a member of their neighbors prayer group knew the man that was first on the scene assisting and praying for Todd on the side of that highway. It just so happened that the former lady paramedic was there to help with CPR. It just so happened that the ambulance made it in time to resuscitate Todd after two defibrillations. The physicians at that Vanderbilt trauma unit were talking about Todd in terms of a “miracle” that he survived.

If there is one thing about this near tragedy that Heather wants the public to know, it’s that there is power in God and prayer. Circumstances simply lined up for Todd’s life to be saved and she wants God to get the glory out of it.

As I was preparing to write this article, I had heard about another well respected gentleman — a nurse practitioner — who lost his life in a motorcycle accident near Pulaski a few days ago. The deceased was Eddie Steelman, the brother of our mail lady Jan Steelman. He also worked for 17 years in my place of employment — GM Spring Hill. He treated all his patients like his own family and was a loving and devoted father to his three daughters.

I absolutely believe in “miracles” and agree with Heather that God was involved in Todd’s recovery. I’ve heard of several other similar cases. I’ve also witnessed many good Christian friends who died unexpectedly and suddenly.

The only way I can resolve that in my mind is that when it’s time for God to take you home to heaven, all the prayers in the world will not stop that process. We all have an appointment with death, it’s just a matter of timing. The important thing is to be ready to go whenever it comes.

I’ve never met Heather personally, but her deep love both for her husband and for God came through strongly in our phone conversation. I prayed for Todd and trust that he will have a splendid path to full recovery.